Aquahound

Bottom line up front, based solely on the little bit of info you gave, she'll be fine. Tell your friend to stop worrying. Here's the deal. When you return to Seattle, you will join one of about 4 very long lines where, when you get to the CBP agent, you show your passport and answer 1, maybe 2 questions about anything to declare. All they do is look at the passport and then, you're on your way. 5-10 seconds, max. If there was some sort of flag on her name, such as an overstay, warrant, etc, it would likely be handled discreetly by CBP prior to debarking the ship. Otherwise, there are hundreds of passengers carrying foreign passports debarking the ship. The likelihood that CBP would target her, who is here legally, is pretty much none.

Especially Americans? Can I interest you in the 2025 English Open? HOME - Pickleball England

Y'all do know that you can buy Ulu knives on Amazon for a lot cheaper than on the cruise, right?

Almost the entire downtown section near the pier gets boarded up upon the last ship leaving. Also, most of the shop workers are seasonal and aren't even locals. They disappear as well.

Juneau is much larger than the few blocks downtown where the ships tie up. The vast majority of locals live away from downtown and have very little interaction with the cruise ship tourists.

Ugh. Please stop saying that and when you do it, please do it quietly. This is how benefits get taken away.

That only applies to Radiance Class ships in Alaska. I've never seen kids allowed in the Solarium on Quantum Class ships in AK since those ships have another indoor pool.

I looked at what Carnival offers in their higher tiers and frankly, I think the reactions are a little overblown. The perks really aren't that great and certainly shouldn't be the primary reason to sail with them. Royal Caribbean, on the other hand....it would be painful to lose my D+ perks.

My first cruise was on NCL's Sunward II. I was a young teen at the time and that cruise was a life changer. It inspired me to want to work at sea. A few years later I joined the USCG.

For me, it's the people. A lot of the frequent posters from back then have either disappeared or only occasionally post something nowadays. I've met so many friends and had so many unforgettable conversations.

I also think RCI is the easy choice. Princess is a nice all-around cruise line, but I struggle to think of anything they excel at.

Take a look at the Silver Nova. Some friends of mine cruised that ship last year to Alaska and loved it.

I think the best hands-on excursions come with the expeditionary cruises. However, you don't need to book cruise line excursions. You can book your own excursions for more hands-on experiences. But I have to ask....what's your idea of a luxury ship? If you want to cruise a true luxury or premium line, there are a few choices, such as Silversea, Seabourn, and Viking Ocean.

I do know that locals in some Alaska ports are becoming increasingly frustrated with cruise ship tourists. Juneau and Sitka are 2 of them. I was in Juneau for work this week and I heard plenty. Coincidently, public transportation was one of the topics. But still, it's no excuse for the driver to be so rude. Hopefully you get some sort of response.

I’m in Juneau for a few days for work and I talked to someone today about RCIs plans. A lot is unknown but it sounds like they’re going for something more immersive on the west side of Douglas. They’re working with the Tlingit tribe. Should be interesting. There were 5 ships in today and yeah, it’s a mess when looking at it from this angle. On the narrow road going out to the Last Chance mining museum, a homeowner hung a large sign saying “Too many tourists. Go home.”

RCI is trying to build a remote port on the west side of Douglas, which is pretty far removed from downtown Juneau. From the descriptions, it sounds similar to Icy Strait Point. West Douglas cruise port proposed by Goldbelt and Royal Caribbean, to surprise and dismay of city officials | Juneau Empire

Please be aware that in Victoria, it tends to take a while for local authorities to clear the ship for passengers to go ashore. I certainly do not recommend booking 11:30. Anything from noon or later should be ok.

Hey Lois! I 100% agree. I also love sea days and if I had to choose, I'd pick the last day.

I think the kings are just a gimmick that people want to try. If paying those exorbitant prices adds to the vacation experience, then so be it. But I'm with y'all. Give me the dungies any day.

I remember seeing a store in Cozumel change their prices when the cruise ships left, so the overnight tourists paid less than the cruise ship tourists. That was about 15 years ago, so price gouging tourists, or at least certain types of tourists, is nothing new.

Rent a car in Skagway. Take your passports so you can drive across the border to Yukon. It's an amazing drive with lots of cool stops.

They hold the smaller k-cup style pods.

Yep, same here. That, plus I heavily benefitted when they did the conversion from completed cruises to cruise days, since most of my priors were 3 & 4 night cruises. 😁

Based on what I've read, my recommendation to the op would be Holland America.

In Skagway, hike the Dewey Lake trail. It's an easy walk to the trailhead. The trail has some uphill switchbacks, but it's not difficult. You can then completely circle Lower Dewey Lake. Depending on how much you're willing to split up, I think Skagway is one of the best AK ports to rent a car and drive to Yukon.